A/N - looky-here, back to weekly updates! Some reviews sure would help me keep it up... ;)

Chapter Ten: Plan

BPOV

"Bella?"

Jake bolted upright from where he was lounging on his front porch. He was gaping.

Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Pull it together," I told myself sternly, gritting my teeth as I steered my old clunker over the rough gravel of the Black's driveway. If I could survive being abandoned by the person I most cared about, then I could steel myself for a little awkwardness with a close friend. At least, we had been close...before I had let myself get so wrapped up in Edward that my replies slowed and Jacob eventually stopped trying to reach out to me.

I bit my lip with shame and apprehension as I pushed down on the brake and killed the engine.

"Hey, Jake!" I injected my voice with as much false enthusiasm as I could muster. Maybe if I put on a good show of being happy to see him, he would forget all about what a terrible friend I was. Jacob was easy to please and didn't ask much from people - he was a far better person than I would ever be.

This morning I had woken up, truly woken up from my grief-induced haze with a purpose. I was on a mission to get Edward back. Not just him, but Alice and the rest of my once-future family, too. Edward had been wrong in making my decision for me -he took away my choices when he was "doing what's best" for me. Well, I had legs - I could chase after him. Metaphorically, at least.

I wasn't going to give up or quit this time. If it took me the rest of my life, well right now that seemed a worthy goal to me.

After Charlie had begrudgingly departed for work, clearly reluctant to leave me alone with the rest of our unbroken possessions, I cleaned up my act. I spent a solid hour or two bagging and sweeping the rubble from my room, and then I got down to the real work. I made a list, a brainstorm of ways to accomplish my goal.

I was no tracker; the only way for me to follow the Cullens would be to enlist support from one of them. For now, that was a long shot. Although I knew Alice would help me in a heartbeat, I could only assume that all lines of communication were being monitored by Edward. Either I would have to wait for her contact, or risk getting her in trouble. In any event, I wasn't fast enough to act on any information before he could pick up and move again. With all these factors in mind, contacting Alice would remain Plan B.

Plan A, as Edward would see it, was fighting dirty.

Plan A was to call his bluff that he would stay away from me forever. I would and could endanger myself if it would bring him back. Edward made a big mistake in leaving while I knew he loved me. If he'd told me that he had grown bored with me, fallen out of love with me, then my doubt might have been great enough to keep me from trying to bring him back. Instead, I knew that he loved me enough to leave against his wishes, all to protect me. Well, if he wanted to protect me, the role of knight in shining armor was exactly what he would get.

I just had to be the dragon and the damsel in distress all at once. I was pretty sure I could handle it; I was an expert multitasker.

"What are you doing here?" Jake asked as I climbed up onto the porch. He still looked surprised to see me, but he was definitely pleased, if his bone-crushing hug was any indication.

"I'm here to see you," I half-lied. "Sorry I've been away so long. That wasn't very nice of me." I hung my head sheepishly for added effect.

"That's alright," Jake waved away my apology generously. "I know you've been busy with your boyfriend. I heard that they moved, so I wondered if you'd show up."

My breath caught in my throat. It was funny, how even though I was sure of his love and determined to get him back, his absence still cut me.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, placing his large hand over mine. "You know I don't like him, but I don't want you to be sad."

I gave Jake a brave smile. "It'll be okay. Right now, I just want to have fun with you. So...distract me!"

He stared at me, but then grinned. "Okay...do you want to watch a movie?"

I shook my head.

"Um...we could hang out on the beach?" he offered, trying again.

"No...something a little more...exciting," I suggested.

He was non-plussed. I sighed, not knowing how to push him in the direction of dangerous activities without triggering Suicide Watch.

Jake's face shifted suddenly, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking, for once. He squeezed my hand, which had somehow already become naturally entwined with his. He stepped closer, and leaned down to whisper, "You mean, like this kind of distraction?"

"Jake," I complained, taking a big step back as he aimed for a kiss and missed.

I felt remorseful when I watched his face fall. I could see how he might have misunderstood my words, but...did he seriously think that I was on the rebound? If he did, he had another think coming.

"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression," I said calmly. "But I was thinking more along the lines of...cliff diving! I've seen you guys do it before, and the water is still pretty warm."

"Not so frigid as it's going to be, you mean," he laughed, recovering from his disappointment. "Sure, we could do that - I'm surprised you're up for it," he teased. "Most girls think it's too scary. Sure you're not chicken?"

"I'm sure." I wasn't, but I would have to get a grip if I was going to carry out this plan.

"You want to do it today? The weather's good - lots of sun, no wind."

"Okay, yeah...perfect!" I started to get excited when I remembered that I had an unused swimsuit underneath the passenger seat of my truck, left over from a forced shopping trip with Jessica and Angela. I had no idea that their definition of beach weather differed severely from mine.

I changed in the house and came out, just a little hesitant as Jake looked me over, looking as though he liked what he saw. Not even Edward had seen me in this. I knew that bathing suits didn't really count as being undressed, and it wasn't showing much skin, but if Jake was going to unwittingly help me accomplish my goal, we were going to have to stay friends, and friends only.

"Let's do this," I muttered, pulling my t-shirt and shorts back on over my suit.

"Bella, what brought this on?" Jake asked in wonder as he walked beside me. "I'm surprised...I thought you always played it pretty safe."

"I'm celebrating my freedom," I told him shortly.

It was my turn to make the decisions around here, and I was going to plunge right in. Literally.